NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spoke to reporters in New York on Thursday. (Elsa, Getty Images)

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the media Friday for the first time since his CBS News interview in which he tried to explain the league’s decision and process in suspending Ray Rice indefinitely.

Since then, a handful of other cases have come up — Adrian Peterson, Greg Hardy, Jonathan Dwyer, Ray MacDonald — and a number of fumbled news conference by owners and missteps by the league have followed.

The NFL has perhaps never faced a more embarrassing and alarming few weeks than it has now, leading to even its biggest sponsors, including Anheuser-Busch and Nike, to start raising red flags and even suspending their deals with the league.

On Friday, Goodell must have felt that he could no longer hide. He, again, said that he made a mistake. That he “got it wrong.” That he “is sorry.” That he is “trying to get it right.” That the league “needs outside help.”

But the general public has heard those lines many times throughout these past few months, from him and his owners.

(The commissioner also said he has not considered resigning — “We have a lot of work to do. That’s my focus.” — and that he believes he has the full support of the league’s owners — “That has been clear to me.”)

But while Goodell may have been very sincere in his words, that he was indeed very sorry for how the NFL has handled the Ray Rice incident and the other cases that have come up since, he didn’t offer a concrete plan for how the league would change its ways.

He said the league would strive to get a new personal conduct policy in place by the Super Bowl, but he didn’t say what changes he would like to see made to the policy.

He said the league has partnered with two outside organizations for domestic violence awareness, but he didn’t say how that would change things within the league.

He said he there have been inconsistencies in how the NFL has handled the varied cases over the last few weeks, but he didn’t explain why.

He said “everything is on the table” when asked if he would consider giving up some of his power to allow for more checks and balances in the league.

When asked about Robert Mueller conflict of interests in investigating a league his firm has represented in past contract negotiations, Goodell asked why anyone would question Mueller’s credibility.

When probed by reporters, Goodell failed to answer succinctly how things will change and why things have happened as they have. In short, he said he has been in numerous meetings, that there are many things that the league “needs to consider,” that they “need to get it right.” But offered no answers and no plans with real changes.

But it wasn’t just the media who appeared baffled by Goodell’s lack of reasoning Friday. Players, fans and countless others expressed their views on his address: Read more…

I remember exactly where I was the moment I learned the Broncos had hired Josh McDaniels to be their new head coach. Don’t you?

I was in the press box at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, after the second-round playoff game between the Steelers and Chargers, in case you were wondering. But I digress.

I wrote this for the print edition of The Denver Post last week, part of our end-of-the-year package, but I’m going to post it again here, just so you all can relive some of the memories of what a nutty 365 days it has been since the McDaniels era began in Denver.

Enjoy.

Jan. 12: McDaniels, the 32-year-old former offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots, is introduced at a press conference at Dove Valley. McDaniels signs a four-year contract worth $11.9 million.

Feb. 12: Team owner Pat Bowlen and McDaniels make a major move to shake up the front office by firing personnel executives (and father-son duo) Jim and Jeff Goodman, while Brian Xanders is named the sole general manager. Four days later, McDaniels and Xanders began purging the roster by simultaneously releasing six players on Feb. 16, including four players (Jamie Winborn, John Engleberger, Dewayne Robertson and Marquand Manuel) who were starters on the 2008 defense.

Feb. 28: On the first day of free agency, news breaks that McDaniels had looked into the possibility of a trading quarterback and bringing in Matt Cassel. The ensuing feud between Cutler and McDaniels became arguably the biggest story in the NFL last spring. Meanwhile, the Broncos made a major splash in free agency by signing more than a dozen players, including safeties Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill, cornerback Andre Goodman, running back Correll Buckhalter, wide receiver Jabar Gaffney and linebacker Andra Davis by the end of the first week of March.

April 2: The Cutler era in Denver officially ends when the Broncos send the quarterback to Chicago in exchange for Kyle Orton and a slew of draft picks, including two first rounders.

April 25: The Broncos surprise plenty of people when they draft running back Knowshon Moreno (No. 12) and outside linebacker Robert Ayers (No. 16) with their first-round draft picks, and select three more players in the second round (CB Alphonso Smith, S Darcel McBath and TE Richard Quinn). The Broncos would draft five more players on the second day of the draft.

June 15: Star wide receiver Brandon Marshall is a no-show at the team’s only mandatory minicamp. While he doesn’t participate in the workout (he was recovering from hip surgery), he meets with Bowlen and asks to be traded.

Aug. 14: The Broncos first preseason game was a disaster, with quarterback Kyle Orton (who had been booed earlier at a home scrimmage) throwing interceptions on the Broncos’ first three offensive series. Moreno, who held out and had just signed his rookie contract days before, sprained a ligament in his knee, an injury that would keep him out the rest of the preseason.

Aug. 28: Two days before a preseason game against Cutler and the Bears, McDaniels suspends Marshall for the remainder of the preseason for “conduct detrimental to the team” after Marshall’s poor behavior in a meeting and at practice the previous day.

Sept. 13: The Broncos open the McDaniels Era in dramatic fashion, with an improbable final-minute win at Cincinnati. Trailing 7-6, Orton’s pass intended for Marshall was tipped by a Bengal defensive back, but caught by Brandon Stokley, who ran free for an 87-yard touchdown.

Oct. 11: Matt Prater makes a 41-yard field goal in overtime to give the Broncos a 20-17 win against New England. The win sends McDaniels into as jubilant an on-field postgame celebration a head coach might have ever displayed. Eight days later, the Broncos beat AFC West rival on the road on Monday Night Football to improve to 6-0 going into the bye week.

Nov. 1: The Broncos stumble out of the bye week with a 30-7 loss at Baltimore, the first of four consecutive losses, including home losses to Pittsburgh and San Diego, both by double digits, and a road loss at Washington in which Orton leaves the game at halftime with a severely sprained ankle.

Nov. 24: Broncos snap the four-game losing streak with a dominating win on Thanksgiving night against the Giants, a game that will be equally be remembered for McDaniels’ profantity-laced sideline rant that aired across the country on NFL Network.

Dec. 20: Broncos lose to Oakland, 20-19, at home, despite playing the Raiders playing all three of their quarterbacks – Charlie Frye, JaMarcus Russell and even J.P. Losman in the game. The loss ended up severely damaging the Broncos’ playoffs hopes.

Jan. 1: McDaniels announces that Marshall (along with tight end Tony Scheffler) will be inactive for the season finale against Kansas City as a coach’s decision.

Jan. 3: Broncos lose 44-24 to the Chiefs at Invesco Field at Mile High to finish the season at 8-8, with a record of 2-8 in the final 10 games. The loss erased any slim hopes that were left of making the playoffs.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall was benched for the team's final game against Kansas City. In this photo, he fires up his team during the New York Giants game on Nov. 26, 2009, at Invesco Field at Mile High. (Joe Amon/The Denver Post)

This may sound strange coming from a media type who never met a secret he didn’t like to expose, but Josh McDaniels needs to keep things on the hush-hush at Dove Valley.

Broncos safety Brian Dawkins is one of the players selected to participate in a new initiative from the NFL to see where players stand on certain issues confronting the league. Dawkins, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner are among those who will participate in the first round of meetings.

The league has selected former Colts coach Tony Dungy to coordinate the Player Advisory Forum. Dungy will select the players to attend meetings in various cities around the league to receive input, comments and criticism about various league matters, including the NFL’s player conduct policy and player safety issues.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to attend the meetings as well.

The Broncos are in a tough spot with their star receiver Brandon Marshall. They could use his talent and productivity. They’re paying $2.198 million this year in return for his talent and productivity.

But they know Marshall is not happy with $2.198 million. Earlier in training camp, the Broncos did submit at least one contract proposal to Marshall, according to NFL sources.

The proposal was considered to be team-favorable and was quickly rejected. Since that proposal, Marshall was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.

Several NFL executives and agents say they expect the Broncos to wait and see how Marshall performs before they engage in serious discussions regarding a contract extension.

Despite appearances of something more than a coincidence, an NFL source says the Broncos are not planning to trade Brandon Marshall.

The trade Sunday that sent Kevin O’Connell from the Detroit Lions to New York Jets again ignited the possibility that Marshall will be moved this season.

About the time Marshall was suspended by the Broncos nine days for detrimental conduct, the New York Jets expressed interest in the star-crossed receiver.

Last week, the Broncos, who have health issues with their top two quarterbacks, Kyle Orton and Chris Simms, put in a claim on O’Connell, who New England had just waived. Broncos coach Josh McDaniels was New England’s offensive coordinator last season.

The Detroit Lions, who have Matthew Stafford and Daunte Culpepper at quarterbacl, also put in a claim on O’Connell. The Lions got him because their 0-16 record last season was worse than the Broncos’ 8-8 mark. Cleveland also put in a claim ahead of the Broncos.

And now O’Connell, a second-year player, is traded today to the Jets, who have already invested heavily in a young quarterback named Mark Sanchez.

Meanwhile, the Broncos formally lifted their suspension of Marshall, who attended practice Sunday. The Broncos won’t have to make a corresponding roster move until Monday, as they were given a one-day roster exemption by the NFL office.

It should be noted there was a fourth team that put in a waiver claim on O’Connell last week: The Jets. Did Jets’ general manager Mike Tannenbaum give O’Connell a high draft grade coming out of San Diego State? Or did Tannenbaum acquire O’Connell as a preemptive step towards acquiring Marshall, who after averaging 103 receptions the previous two seasons, is seeking both a trade and a contract extension?

How long will the Marshall saga continue? At least until he’s seen catching a pass for the Broncos at Cincinnati next week in the season opener. And even then …

So the party line out of Dove Valley (and the Bears’ headquarters in Chicago, too) is that Sunday’s game between the Broncos and Bears is just another preseason game. You know, a chance for both teams to work out kinks and test out new players and schemes.

Yeah, right.

Fans, at least fans here in Denver, know better.

That’s why a bar-full of die-hard Broncos fans gathered Saturday afternoon to destroy Jay Cutler jerseys — jerseys they had spent money on and proudly worn in years past.

The folks at Wrigley’s Chicago Bar in Golden (yes, ironically the event was held at a Chicago-fan bar) couldn’t get a permit to burn the jerseys, but they set up an orange-and-blue toilet for flushing jerseys away, a can of tar to tar-and-feather the jerseys and other tools (a giant sander, a weed whacker) in order to destroy the No. 6 jerseys.

“We’re tired of all the spoiled brat, punk sports figures,” said Jamison Coomes, who sold anti-Cutler T-shirts and stickers at the event. “Brandon’s the next one.”

Coomes was referring, of course, to Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who was suspended by the team on Friday for “conduct detrimental to the club.”

Marti Silburn was the first to destroy a jersey, by flushing it. Silburn, who along with her husband is a season ticket holder, said she didn’t like the way Cutler handled his exit from Denver. Silburn is a teacher, and she said Cutler — and now Marshall — have set terrible examples of how to behave.

“That’s why there is such anger,” Silburn said. “Stop acting like a spoiled brat.”

The Broncos’ suspension of Brandon Marshall for conduct detrimental to the team will amount to nine days.

Veteran players receive $1,225 a week in per diem during training camp, plus another $200 a week once the preseason begins. That means Marshall will lose out on at least $1,832 during his time away from the facility.

Additionally, the Broncos are expected to fine Marshall for his detrimental conduct. The unspecified amount of the fine figures to be greater than $1,832.

While that’s enough to put a dent into anyone’s money clip, Marshall got off cheap compared to the $129,294 in weekly game checks he could have lost had the suspension carried into the regular season (Marshall is scheduled to draw a $2.198 million salary, paid out over 17-weeks).

The Broncos settled on limiting Marshall’s punishment to the preseason after conferring with the NFL, which recommended an escalating discipline schedule.

For his punt and other acts of misbehavior, the Broncos have given receiver Brandon Marshall the boot.

The Broncos have suspended Marshall for conduct detrimental to the team. Because the suspension is only through the rest of the preseason, Marshall is not expected to file a grievance, an NFL source said. Players do not start collecting their salaries until the regular season begins. If Marshall doesn’t fall in line, the team would reserve the right to extend his suspension, according to the NFL source. The Broncos are to open their regular season Sept. 13 in Cincinnati.

Marshall was informed of the suspension by coach Josh McDaniels this morning. McDaniels then informed the rest of the players at a team meeting this morning.

The punishment stems from Marshall’s shameful display of unprofessionalism during practice Wednesday. He was lackadaisical during individual running drills. He didn’t run routes or catch passes during another position drill, instead choosing to hold a dummy and knocking the receivers as they came off the line.

A KMGH-7 video caught Marshall punting the ball away after one drill instead of handing it to a ball boy, as the players are told. Marshall was held out of practice Wednesday, but that was before the Broncos were aware of the magnitude of his insubordination.

Marshall caught 206 passes the previous two seasons for the Broncos, enough production for him to request a contract extension that has one year and $2.198 million remaining. He has twice requested a trade.

Perhaps realizing the circulating video of his misconduct could all but kill his ability to get traded, Marshall went on ESPN’s NFL Live show at 10:42 p.m. MST Thursday to explain his actions.

“”Me punting the ball was definitely frustration,” Marshall said. “”It was an error in judgment. There was a lot of frustration (Wednesday) coming out of a meeting.”

McDaniels would not explain the reason behind Marshall’s absence from practice Thursday but he will address the suspension at 11 a.m. MDT press conference.

For his punt and other acts of misbehavior, the Broncos have given receiver Brandon Marshall the boot.

The Broncos have suspended Marshall for conduct detrimental to the team. Marshall was informed of the suspension by coach Josh McDaniels this morning. McDaniels informed the rest of the players at a team meeting Friday morning.

Marshall’s apology Thursday night on ESPN was too late. The punishment stems from Marshall’s shameful display of unprofessionalism during practice Wednesday. He was lackadaisical during individual running drills. He didn’t run routes or catch passes during another position drill, instead choosing to hold a dummy and knocking the receivers as they came off the line.

A KMGH-7 video caught Marshall punting the ball away after one drill instead of handing it to a ball boy, as the players are told.

Marshall was held out of practice Wednesday, but that was before the Broncos were aware of the magnitude of his insubordination.

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels decided to suspend Marshall Friday morning. The length of the suspension is not known although Marshall is not expected to play in the Broncos’ next preseason game Sunday night against the Chicago Bears and his former quarterback, Jay Cutler.

It’s possible Marshall could be suspended without pay into the early part of the regular season. Last year, the Carolina Panthers suspended receiver Steve Smith for two games for his part in a brawl with a teammate..

Marshall caught 206 passes the previous two seasons for the Broncos, enough production for him to request a contract extension that has one year and $2.198 million remaining. He has twice requested a trade.

Perhaps realizing the circulating video of his misconduct could all but kill his ability to get traded, Marshall went on ESPN’s NFL Live show at 10:42 p.m. MST to explain his actions.

“”Me punting the ball was definitely frustration,” Marshall said. “”It was an error in judgment. There was a lot of frustration (Wednesday) coming out of a meeting.”

McDaniels would not explain the reason behind Marshall’s absence from practice Thursday.

By Mike Klis<
The Denver Post<
Brandon Marshall is not staging a hold out. He is not about to be traded. And he has not been suspended.
So the drama behind his absence from Broncos’ practice Thursday may not have been all that dramatic, even as Marshall’s shameful display during practice Wednesday created another episode to “As Brandon’s World Turns.’’
Marshall did not participate in the Broncos’ practice Thursday, although he was at the team’s headquarters during the session. It appears Marshall was held out for punitive reasons for his unprofessional conduct during practice Wednesday.
In the practice, Marshall was nonchalant during a high-step running drill between cushioned obstacles. A channel 7 video caught him punting the ball away when the drill was finished.
“”Me punting the ball was definitely frustration,’’ Marshall told ESPN’s NFL Live show late Thursday night. “”It was an error in judgment. There was a lot of frustration yesterday coming out of a meeting.’’
In another drill, Marshall did not take his turn in running routes or catching passes, instead accepting the task of using a blocking dummy to knock receivers off their route. At the end of this drill, the channel 7 video caught Marshall batting a ball away.
Marshall implied some of the video, which included him sitting on pads before practice started, was taken out of context.
“”I’m not going to talk about it,’’ said Broncos coach Josh McDaniels. “”There’s a number of reasons why a guy might not be ready and able to go out here, and without going into detail on everyone’s situation, it’s either my decision or our training staff’s decision that the guy can’t go out here and do what we would ask him to do.’’
Marshall has let it be known he is an unhappy employee. He is so unhappy with the $2.198 million salary remaining on his contract, and the negative publicity he has received for his off-field incidents the past two years, he has asked to be traded.
Perhaps realizing the video of his petulant behavior may not help him draw interest from other teams, Marshall quickly went into spin control during his ESPN interview.
“”I’m not going to do whatever it takes (to be traded),’’ Marshall said. “”I’m not out there trying to be a distraction to the team. Unfortunately, (Wednesday) I kind of let my frustration get the best of me. I definitely want a fresh new start with everything that is going on, not just this year but in past years. It’s been a lot. Unfortunately I let my emotions get the best of me and I apologize to everyone for that.’’
The Broncos are not engaged in trade talks. They are not engaged in contract negotiations. Marshall reiterated Broncos owner Pat Bowlen told him in June that he would be traded. Bowlen has never publicly discussed his meeting with Marshall.
If Marshall is not traded?
“”I have to be professional about it and get ready for the season with the Broncos and go out there and put the team in the best position to win,’’ Marshall said. “”I think we have a great group of guys and have a great chance of winning.’’

I can’t wait to read them. I want to know how you fans feel about Kyle Orton.

And while we continue to report on today’s monumental news, I wanted to pass along a quick story.

I was just sitting outside of the Broncos’ facility, which sits at the intersection of Broncos Parkway and Potomac in suburban Arapahoe County, while conducting an interview on the phone, when I heard someone shouting. Some man, parked at the red light on Potomac, had rolled down his windows to yell in the direction of the Broncos’ building. What he said isn’t suitable for a family publication like the Denver Post. But needless to say, he wasn’t pleased. As he drove away, he shouted one final expletive aimed at Orton.

Tough crowd.

So do you agree? Did the Broncos bungle this situation or will Orton be a suitable replacement for Cutler?

Mike Klis has been with The Denver Post since 1998, after working 13 years with the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph. Major League Baseball was Klis' initial passion. He started covering the Colorado Rockies after Coors Field was approved for construction in August 1990.

Nicki Jhabvala is the Sports Digital News Editor for The Denver Post. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor, and she was most recently the overnight home page editor at the New York Times. She has reported regularly on the Broncos since joining the staff.

A published author and award-winning journalist, Benjamin Hochman is a sports columnist for The Denver Post. He previously worked on the staff of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, winners of two Pulitzer Prizes for their Hurricane Katrina coverage.